FBK’s “2Aspire” team wins the D2T Start Cup Prize

A new instrument for protecting free Apps for smartphones against hackers has allowed FBK researchers Andrea Avancini and Mariano Ceccato with the “2Aspire” team to win the Innovation Enterprise D2T Start Cup Prize awarded by Trentino Sviluppo for the ICT “Award TeamSystem” category. Last Friday, at the Progetto Manifattura event, the final evening of the Prize, with the finalists pitch and the award giving to the winners who win 15,000 Euros, an incubation period of 9 months, and access to the finals of the “2016 National Award for innovation”.

In the ICT category, the “TeamSystem Prize” was awarded to the “2Aspire” winner project, curated by FBK researchers Andrea Avancini from Levico Terme and Mariano Ceccato from Pergine Valsugana. The project is about a protection system dedicated to Apps with particular reference to those distributed for free thanks to the presence of advertising content, that are more and more often attacked or boycotted through the web.

The project stems from the new TIS program, launched in May by the Foundation, which consists of specific steps reserved to FBK researchers aimed at the development of their technological ideas and provides mentorship and support of their business idea.

“2Aspire” was awarded the prize Friday by Mauro Casotto, with the Directorate General of Trentino Sviluppo and Cristiano Zanetti, with TeamSystem at the presence of Alessandro Olivi, Vice President and Head of the Economic Development and Labor of the Autonomous Province of Trento.

“This initiative – Olivi says – this year even more proves to be a true gateway to the vast pipeline of startup support services fielded by the Province of Trento through Trentino Sviluppo. Thanks to the contributions to new entrepreneurship just refinanced with another 4 million Euros to the Seed Money fund, which will soon see a new call, as well as to the BIC spaces and the support services providing encounter opportunities with private investors, the Trentino Region proves to be an area of great appeal for those who want to bet on their own business idea.”

Nine editions, 438 participants, 226 ideas evaluated and 13 startups created from the ideas of the finalists. The D2T Start Cup Award has become a tradition in Trentino for the promotion of entrepreneurship and the spirit of initiative in young people between 16 and 35 years. The 2016 edition of the competition ended with the presentation of the 9 finalists and the awards ceremony.

The steps that led the finalists to the final event got under way, in fact, more than a month ago with a coaching period, curated by Daniela Sannicolò, with Trentino Sviluppo, and Marco Senigalliesi, with HIT, supplemented by some targeted workshops including the one with well-known trainer Augusto Coppola. The winners’ journey will now go on with other nine months of incubation at Progetto Manifattura and Hub Innovazione Trentino. This is, in fact, a part of the prize that adds to the 15,000-Euro check, and the access to the finals of the “2016 National Award for Innovation” held in Modena on December 1 and 2.